Cormorant lake (north) c'est mort. 27th November 2021

It was touch and go whether I would get to Manor farm restoration this weekend. Early Saturday morning was very cold, with heavy rain, and forecasts of sleet through out the day. I decided to stay nice and warm at home.

We had our Covid-19 booster shots at lunchtime. Thus my initial plan was to wait and see if I had any adverse reactions. People had reported being wiped out,  the day after receiving the Pfizer jab. Therefore, I was dubious whether I could get to Manor farm on Sunday morning.

As it was, the weather cleared in the afternoon, but with a heavy band of rain approaching from the north east. I decided to get myself down to Manor farm during this break in the weather. I'm glad I did. For one thing, Sunday morning was perishing. Though I didn't have adverse reactions to the Pfizer jab, except for a sore patch where I was injected. Which was not any more painful than that I experienced when I received my first ever flu vaccination, some years ago.

Inert et al have been terribly nice to me, this week, and expedited my forecast that they could complete the in/up fill of Cormorant lake (north). A very nice job the bulldozer driver has done. The last bit of Cormorant lake (north) was filled in, and blended nicely with what was the east ridge. The whole area west of the east ridge has been nicely smoothed.

Not surprisingly, the emergency drainage ditch has been filled in, but only as far as a a ditch carrying run off from both the north east side of the site and the ridges. A large quantity of water is flowing off this area, which has quite a few drainage ditches. So much so, it is quite a challenge to walk west to east (or vice versa) across the north east part of the site.

The only slight problem with the ditch carrying run off is that it is flowing in the wrong direction i.e. easterly instead of westerly. No doubt this will be corrected as restoration proceeds.

I'm not sure what Inert are going to do next. The most obvious is to continue the infill of what little remains of Cormorant lake (south). However, one or two major items remain missing. Firstly, is a large lake that should sit just south of what was Cormorant lake (north). This needs digging out.

Secondly is extending Manor lake (south), across where the pump currently resides, all the way over to the copse. 

Thirdly, landscaping new ponds on what was Finch pond, and plumbing Colebrook back in.

Fourthly, flattening of the west and north embankments, also the large spoil heaps round the pump and near the copse. There is a heck of a lot of soil in these heaps, with precious little lakes left to dump them in.

Fifthly, installing a car park on the north west corner of the site.

Sixthly, all the frilly final landscaping, tree planting, reed planting, etc, etc, etc.

I remain agog as to what happens next. In the meantime, I shall relish with the warm fuzzy feeling that my immune system is locked and loaded against Covid-19 and flu.